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Sundays:  Pastor's Class 9:00 AM (Genesis 1-3 like you never heard it before.)
               Divine Liturgy 10:30 AM

Wednesdays: Divine Liturgy 7:00 (Beginning September 18, 2024)

 

Back To The Catacombs

Famously, during Roman persecuation (ca. 63 to 313 AD) Christians worshiped in catacombs. These were subterranian burial grounds with passageways off of which were the various vaults containing the sacred remains of the martyrs.

While it was mostly funeral masses that were offered there catacomb worship has come to mean any Christian worship which must take place ins secret for fear of the legal authorities.

In America the church has not had to resort to catacomb worship. But the temperature is dropping. We should recognize that tolerance for the gospel, and the Christian morality that flows from it grows colder each day.

At this time we might say that a "gag order" has been issued by the common consent of culture so that our views are not welcome in the public square or in polite company. 

Chiefly at this time I have the homosexual error in mind. One symptom of which is spiritual blindness. Those who suffer it don't know they are ill, and cannot be easily  convinced. Much like persons suffering from depression thley cannot be convinced. Everyone around them knows that they need medication, but the sufferer refuses to believe it.

Let the church understand that the homosexual sin is nothing new, but what is new is the attempt to bless, praise and justify it, and to change its status from sin to righteousness.

Because of its inherent power to blind people spiritually we must be careful. At least we in the church must keep our heads about us, and know what is what, so that our own sinful nature does not lead us astray. 

Saint Paul says in Galatians 6:1 "if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." 

And so let us re-affirm here and now that sexual intimacy is the possession and privilege of marriage alone. And marriage is the nuptial union of one man and one woman to the end that men and women might join God in continuing his original act of creation. Sexual intimacy within its proper realm is a divine action and divine privilege that reflects the relationship that exists between Christ the Bridegroom and his baptismally-cleansed Bride the church.

All other sexual engagement, hetero or homo, is sin.

But as regards homosexual activity it is, moreover, an assault against reason, against nature, against anatomy and physiology, against life (in that it can produce no life), and finally against the Good and Supreme God! (Romans 1:24-32)

And so let every person flee from it, for such a war cannot be won, but only lost, and lost very soundly.

And so may those who walk in darkness see the Great Light of Christ, and may his light shine upon them that they might repent, relent, regret and ask Christ to cleanse and save them as per Isaiah 9:2   

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."